Canterbury will have a chance to defend their Ford Trophy title after earning a direct path to Sunday's final.
Canterbury defeated the Auckland Aces in a one-run thriller in the final round at Rangiora's Mainpower Oval on Sunday to confirm themselves as top qualifiers for the second straight season.
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Auckland will face Central Districts at Dunedin's University of Otago Oval on Friday in the elimination match (10.30am start), with a place in the decider two days later at the same venue at stake.
CD beat the Wellington Firebirds by two runs at New Plymouth's Pukekura Park on Sunday to hold off the Otago Volts, who overpowered Northern Districts by seven wickets at Invercargill's Queens Park, for the third spot.
Canterbury, Auckland and Central Districts have combined to win the last five 50-over championships, and 12 of the last 14, dating back to 2010-11.
Opener Rhys Mariu top-scored with a quick-fire 63 from 42 balls, including five fours and three sixes, as Canterbury posted 207-6 in 24 overs in the rain-affected match.
Needing more than eight runs an over, Auckland made a strong start thanks to Sean Solia (39) and Finn Allen (48) but economic spells from Michael Rae and Ish Sodhi saw them requiring 47 runs from the last four overs.
With nine needed from the last over, former Black Cap Jimmy Neesham and Cam Fletcher (43 not out) came up just short.
Tom Bruce (73 from 54) led Central to 253 from 48.3 overs, with Liam Dudding taking 3-55 from nine overs for Wellington.
After some early troubles, the Firebirds looked headed for victory when Muhammad Abbas (104 from 120) and Nick Kelly (86 from 67) put on 159 for the fourth wicket, needing just 54 runs, with 19 overs and six wickets in hand.
Abbas continued to push Wellington to victory but the Firebirds lost wickets in five consecutive overs, leaving Dudding and Adam Milne as the last chance, but Dudding became Jayden Lennox's fourth victim.
In another rain-affected match, Otago's run-chase against Northern Districts came down to the penultimate over, but unlike Auckland and Wellington, were able to complete the job.
Joe Carter (48 from 48) and Brett Hampton (56 not out from 30) pushed ND to 226-6 from 31 overs. The Volts started strongly before losing three wickets for five runs in less than two overs, going from 73 without loss to 78-3.
But Leo Carter (67 not out from 56) and Llew Johnson (85 not out from 62) dug in and then hit out, guiding Otago home with nine balls to spare.